The KGS has completed a study using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to identify potential landslide deposits in Kenton and Campbell Counties, Kentucky. The purpose of this project was to develop a methodology using LiDAR data optimal for the geologic setting of Kenton and Campbell Counties and document landslides as part of an existing inventory. To do this, potential landslides were mapped and data that were previously not visible on existing maps or coarse digital elevation models were digitized. For more information contact Matt Crawford. This study was funded by the US Geological Survey Landslide Hazards Program. The detailed report can be found in the KGS Report of Investigations.

The availability of LiDAR data for Kentucky will increase in the future. High-resolution data sets will be available for other landslide prone counties, and studies similar to this can serve as an excellent precedent for future landslide inventory mapping. Future landslide inventory mapping will greatly enhance the existing KGS landslide inventory, which is the foundation for effective hazard and risk analysis.

Example of a landslide identified on the LiDAR (left) and the digitized polygon (right)).
Note the steep scarp, boundary flanks, and hummocky surface.
The steep scarp along the cutbank of the stream probably contributed to the larger slide above.